How can you break into the film industry? Especially if you’re not in Hollywood or you come from a different profession, like law for instance. Is thick skin essential? Can you balance business with creativity?
If you’re pondering any or all of these thoughts our latest podcast is here to help. In this episode, we chat with producer Ken Kao, co-founder of Waypoint Entertainment, where he shares insights on these topics, some of his personal experiences, and his experience on some recent projects.
Ken’s latest feature, Cuckoo, written and directed by Tilman Singer, stars Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, and Jessica Henwick and premiered at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. It’s currently in theaters.
With a diverse portfolio spanning films everywhere from indie darling Mid-90s to Academy Award-winning The Favorite and The Nice Guys (featuring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe), Ken’s expertise and vision have shaped much of the landscape of modern cinema.
Listen below!
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Ken Kao, co-founder of Waypoint Entertainment and producer of some of the hottest films of 2024, to discuss:
- How Ken started in the industry, moving from lawyer to producer without film school
- Advice for emerging filmmakers and indie producers
- The Waypoint x Neon partnership and the opportunity in mid-budget films
- How he selects projects, being a genre-agnostic producer
- How Waypoint stays nimble and adaptive in the ever-changing industry
- What every producer or aspiring producer should be consuming and Ken’s media diet beyond movies
- Living in Hawaii and maintaining distance from Hollywood
- His latest feature, Cuckoo, by Tilman Singer, starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, and Jessica Henwick
- Waypoint’s involvement in the release of Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe
- Other projects currently in development
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This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by GG Hawkins.
Author: NFS Staff
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
